Brick kiln arch and means for and method of producing same



Feb. 19, 1935. 1,990,832

BRICK KILN ARCH AND MEANS FOR AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Filed Nov.1'7, 1953 Patented Feb. 12, 1935 BRICK KILN ARCH MEANS FOR AND METHOD orrnonocmc SAME I Adolph C. Lutter, Glenview, Ill., assignor' to LatterBrick Company, Glenview, 111., a corporation of Illinois ApplicationNovember 17, 1933 Serial No. 698,449.

10 Claims. (Cl. 132

The present invention relates to arch structures in brick kilns andmeans for producing the same.

Among the objects of the invention is to produce a novel arch structurebetween spaced brick piles, wherein the arch forming bricks are part ofa pile and extendfrom it across the arch space to another. pile, thusproviding a space between the piles and beneath the extending bricks; a

Brick arches have been formed or produced by displacing bricks from theupperportions of spaced companion piles of bricks to extend from bothpiles into the space therebetween, and filling in the spaces behind. thedisplaced bricks with other or spare bricks usually placed on the topsof the piles when they are formed, transformed, or set down. ,Thatentails considerable hand labor and consumes time. a

In the present invention, each pileis built up on a suitable support,such as a car, in'such a way that the arch forming bricks'are part ofthe pilefand are so arranged that. when the pile as a whole or as aunitistransfe'rr'ed and set down in properly spaced relation with apr'eviously set-down like pile, the arch forming bricks extend acrossthe space between the piles and simply connect or match with thepreviously set down pile without any displacement ofv any bricks or handlaborof any kind.

The support, as the car, preferably has means located at a side ofthefcar and'the pile being built-up on it, comprising at its upper endlaterally extendingor over-'handingsupporting parts or shoulders soconstructed and arranged that the position of the arch forming brickswill be determinedv thereby and be held in proper relation with theremainder of the bricks of the pile so that thepile including the archforming bricks may be lifted as aunit from the car and said means, andbe transferred and set-down as explainedabove. V

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel process or'meth'odof forming' brick'arches or arched brick kilns by .so'pilingthe bricksof a pile in a generally rectangular pile that the arch forming bricksextend from a side, such as the upper portion of a side of the pile, andso setting down the pile as a whole or unit in spaced relation with apreviously set down like pile, that the arch forming bricks extendacross or span the upper portion of the space between the piles, certainof the arch forming bricks, such as the upper ones thereof, contactingwith or being partially supported by bricks of the upper portion of thenear side of the previously set down pile, so that a fire space isformed or provided beneath the arch and between the piles.

Another objectof the invention is to provide a novel means forcarryingout the herein dis- 5 closed novel process and" for producingand forming the novel brick' arch.

Other objects, advantages, capabilities, features and process steps arecomprehended by the invention as will later appear and as are inherentlypossessed thereby.

Referring tothe drawing; 7 v Fig. l is a view inelevation of a pile ofbricks produced in accordance with the, invention and a view in sectionof a means for producing the same; and, '7 7 n Fig. 2 is'a view inelevation of set'down piles and the arch therebetween.

Referring-more in detail to the drawing, the invention is showninconnection with a supporting means, such as avcar having a supportingplatform 1 having supports 2 provided with bearings 3 for shafts 4 towhich are secured wheels 5 operative over rails 6. Upon the platform '1are provided a number of longitudinally disposed supporting elements "7'which may be of channel iron.

At one-side of the car, is secured a gauging wall 8 against which thebricks may be placed when being piled. The lower end of the wall 8stands on the platform 1 and the upper end of the wall 8- is provided aseries of steps or laterally projecting portions 11, 1'2, 13 and 14respectively comprising suporting shoulders 15, 16', l and 18, as shownin Fig. 1 of the drawing.

Suitablebrace members 19 may be secured at their upper ends to theshoulder 'part 14 by means of bolts 20; and near their lower ends to thelowerpart of wall 8 by the rivets or bolts 9. The lowerends of thebraces 19 fit into stake straps 10 which are secured by rivets or boltsto aflange of the support 1, as shown in Fig. 1. At the ends of the carare provided any suitable number of posts or stakes 21 suitably securedor fastened at their lower ends to the ends of the platform 1. In orderto assist the bracing action of the braces 19, the latter are secured inany suitable mannerto a strap 22 having ends 23 extending to the ends ofthe car and secured in any suitable manner to the stakes 21 as clear- 1yshown in Fig. 1. a Y

The pile of bricks isbuilt up onthe car and against the gauge wall 8andthe stepped upend portion thereof by first placing the bricks 24 and'25 in line transversely of the car, these bricks arranged in groups ofthree'bricks .upon three bricks of the course 26. The next course 28is.

piled exactly the same as course 26.

The next course 29'is piled the same as course 27 with the exceptionthat bricks 30 are placed so as to be properly positioned by step 11 andpartly supported on shoulder 15, andbr'icks 31 are placed behind bricks30 as shown. In the next course 32 the bricks are arranged as in courses28 and 26 with exception that bricks 33 extend laterally or transverselyand are properly positioned by step 12 andpartly supported upon theshoulder 16. V 1 w The next course 34 is arranged as courses 29 and 27with exception that bricks 35 are placed to be properly positioned bystep 13 and partly supported upon the shoulder 17.

'Ihe next course 36 which is the upper course, has its bricks arrangedas .incourses 32, 28 and 26 with the exception that. bricks 37 are soplaced as to be properly .positioned by the step 14 and partly supporteduponzthe shoulder 18. The step 14 is "wider thantheother steps so thatthe shoulder 18 may support about two thirds of the length of the bricks37.

In this way it will be apparent thatthe bricks,

I 30, '33, 35 and 37 extend-laterally from the side ofthe pile yet are apart of ,thepile and also constitute the archforming bricks when thepile set down in proper spaced relation'with a previously set downlikeopileg It will also be noted that at the other side of the pile, theuppercou'rse 36 is so laid as to omit a line of bricks to provide ashoulder 38, for supporting the ends. of thebricks 37 of the nextpilewhen the arch forming bricks span the space between ,thetwo piles,and thus complete the, arch, as

clearly shown in Fig. 2. of the drawing.- 7

The means used for transferring the pile as a whole or as a unit fromthe car to be set down in thekiln, is known: as a Penfield fork.

It comprises suspending links 40 and 41 connected to cross arms 42 froman end of which are suspending links 43 connected at their lower ends toa fork 44 havingfingers or. tines which are adapted to extend into thespaces provided between the row'sof bricks '24-and 25; The fork is heldin stable position by connecting members 45 secured to the fork: at thelower ends I thereof and to the cross arms 42 at the upper 'endsthereof.

' vIn thep'resent invention, the Penfield device carries an. additional.means comprising rods' 46 having secured at their outer ends 47 thereof,

an angle iron 48 adapted. to be positioned-at the .endsofthe bricks 37so thatthe arch'forming bricks'may be held in position and not becomeloosened or fall duringthe transferring of the pile. The rods 46 extendback and have slotted. bearings 49 in which fit pins-'50 secured to themembe'rs 45, and the rods 46 may have rearwardly extending arms 51having manual members52. At the forwardends of thecross arms 42, are'also connected hooks 53 for supporting The next'course of, bricks 27 istransverse of the car with the bricks the rods 46 when the Penfielddevice is being moved tobe applied to a pile of bricks on a car. Therods 46 also carry weight bars 55 and 56 extending longitudinally of thepile and having base flanges 57 and 58 to span over and press down onsome of the bricks 36 and the bricks 37 so as to prevent theover-hanging bricks from dipping or the like when the pile isbeingtransferred.

After the bricks are piled in the manner above described, the Penfielddevice together with the rods-46, weight bars 55 and 56 and the angleiron 48in the position shown in Fig. 1, it is lifted by a suitable craneso as to carry the pile of bricks from the car, and then the Penfielddevice is lowered in the kiln so as to set down the pile of bricks onthe floor or ground of the kiln. As

the, pile is lowered in place it is brought into proper spaced relationwith a previously set down pile, a part of which is shown in the righthand side of Fig.2, so that the outer end portions of the bricks 37 willfit into-and be supported upon the shoulder 38 of the previously set.down' pile, thus connecting the arch forming bricks withthat side ofthe previously set down pile as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

As the pile is set down, the angle iron 48 which actsas a lateralsupport for the bricks 37, contacts with the'brick's 54 of thepreviously set down pile so as to cause the member 48 to riseout ofengagement withthe ends of the bricks 37, and also cause a raising ofrods 46 and the weight bars'54 and 55, as shown in Fig. '2. After thepile is set down the operator may press down on the handle 52 and raisethe rods .46 to engage inthe hooks53. The Penfield device then is movedto the left so as to become disengaged from the pile andrthe crane willtransfer it to the car for engagement of the forks with another pile onthe car. From the'above, it will become apparent that anarohed mm isbuilt Without the displacement of any bricks from set down pilesto forman arch. The arch forming bricks are made part of a pile and the wholepile as a unit together with the arch forming 'bricks,'-is set down'sothat thejarch forming bricks will match with or connect up with thepreviously set down pile in a substantially automatic manner. 'As shownin Fig. 2, a; firing space 55 is provided for between the piles andbeneath the overhanging or laterally extending arch forming bricks.

The width of the arch may be as desired. If it be desired to make itnarrower than that shown on the drawing, the bricks 37 may jut out onlyhalf as much as shown, as by omitting the bricks 36 behind thebricks'37. .On the other hand, the arch width may also be inade'narrowerby having less overhanging bricks, namely only bricks 33, 35and '37, bricks 30 being so piled asn'ot to jut.

' While I have herein disclosed an embodiment illustrative of theinvention and a mode of producing the same together with an illustrativemeans of carrying 'out the process, it is to be understood that theinvention is not limited thereto but may comprehend other constructions,arrangements of parts, details, features and process steps withoutdepartingfrom the spirit of the invention,

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:.

1. A .brick arch structure formed between spaced piles of bricks,comprising bricks of one pile extending from aside thereof and into thespace provided between the piles .and with oertain of said extendingbricks being partly supported by bricks forming a portion of the side ofthe other pile of bricks at the other side of said space.

2. A brick arch structure formed between spaced piles of bricks,comprising bricks of one pile extending from a side thereof and into thespace provided between the piles and with the upper bricks of saidextending bricks being partly supported by bricks forming a portion ofthe side of the other pile of bricks at the other side of said space.

3. An arch structure for bricks in a brick kiln, comprising overhangingbricks from a side of a pile of bricks, the upper bricks of theoverhanging bricks extending to and being partly supported by bricks intheupper portion of the near side of another pile of bricks spaced fromthe first mentioned pile of bricks, whereby a space is provided betweensaid piles of bricks and beneath said overhanging bricks.

4. An arch structure for bricks in a brick kiln, comprising overhangingbricks from a side of a pile of bricks and so arranged that the upperbricks of the overhanging bricks are partly supported by and partlyoverlie bricks forming a part of the near side of another pile of bricksspaced from the first mentioned pile of bricks, whereby a space isprovided between said piles of bricks and beneath said overhangingbricks.

5. An arch structure for bricks in a brick kiln, comprising overhangingbricks from a side of a pile of bricks and so arranged that the upperbricks of the overhanging bricks partly overlie and are partly supportedby bricks in the upper portion of the near'side of another pile ofbricks spaced from the first mentioned pile of bricks, whereby a spaceis provided between said piles of bricks and beneath said overhangingbricks.

6. A pile of bricks of generally rectangular shape and having at anupper portion of a, side thereof, outwardly projecting bricks to form anarch between said pile and a companion and like pile in spaced relationthereto, and at the upper portion of the opposite side thereof having ashoulder for the partial support of certain of the projecting bricks ofa companion and like pile in spaced relation thereto, whereby archedspaces are provided for between said piles.

7. A device for forming a pile of bricks for brick kilns, comprising asupport on which the bricks are piled longitudinally and transversely inalternate layers in general, a member having laterally disposedsupporting shoulders and being so located and arranged in respect to thepile of bricks to support some of the bricks of the pile in laterallyextending relation to the side of the pile.

8. A process of forming arches in a brick kiln,

ing bricks extending laterally from a side of the pile, and so settingdown the pile in spaced relation with a previously set down like pilethat the arch forming bricks extend across the upper portion of thespace between the piles and form an arch therebetween. 9. A process offorming arched brick kilns, comprising piling bricks into a generallyrectangular pile with arch forming bricks extending laterally from theupper portion of a side of the pile, and setting down said pile inspaced relation with a previously set down like pile with the archforming bricks extending across the upper portion of the space betweensaid piles and with certain of said arch forming bricks in engagementwith bricks in the upper portion of the near side of the previously setdown pile.

10. A brick arch structure formed between spaced piles of bricks,comprising bricks of one pile extending from a side thereof into thespace provided between the piles and with certain of said extendingbricks being in contact with an upper portion of the side of the otherpile of bricks at the other side of said space.

ADOLPH C. LUTTER.

